1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to electrical transmission and distribution cables, and more particularly, to an electrical conductor having a core comprising a composite construction.
2. Background Art
The demand for transmission and distribution cables increases with the greater demand for electricity. As the appetite for power increases, new electrical cables continue to be installed. Additionally, to increase capacity, other electrical installations are rewired with cables of greater capacity.
Traditionally, such electrical cables comprise a central stranded steel core which is wrapped in a stranded aluminum conductor. Such cables have been utilized for decades with very little change. Amongst other drawbacks, such cables are susceptible to excessive sag in certain climates and under certain operating conditions. Furthermore, such cables are susceptible to corrosion in other environments.
To combat the shortcomings, other composite based solutions have been developed. Certain such solutions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,060,326; U.S. Pub. Nos. 2004-0131834; 2004-0131851; 2005-0227067; 2005-0129942; 2005-0186410; 2006-0051580; U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/374,879; and PCT Pub. No. WO 03/091008, the entire disclosures of each of the foregoing are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Such solutions have replaced the central steel stranded core with a composite material having a core component formed from a carbon fiber material embedded within a matrix and an outer component formed from a fiber material other than carbon embedded within a resin. The core is formed by pultruding the various fibers through pultrusion dies.
Such a fiber likewise has a number of drawbacks. While the composite material is resistant to corrosion, and may be less susceptible to sagging, the fiber construction and the method of manufacturing same leads to non-uniform cores, which may not be of sufficient strength for a particular application. Moreover, the placement of the carbon fiber limits the desirability of such a core.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a core for an electrical conductor which comprises a composite material.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical conductor having a composite core.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing process to form a composite core for use in association of an electrical conductor.
These objects as well as other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, and drawings.